Coronavirus: Japan passes law allowing state of emergency

Japan's Parliament on Friday enacted a law that would allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency if the coronavirus outbreak worsens in the country. The law is controversial because it can severely limit civil rights. It allows Abe to order legally binding school closures, confiscate private property to build medical facilities, order shipments of emergency supplies and take other measures related to the outbreak.

Government officials said there is no immediate plan to declare a state of emergency, but Abe is expected to make a decision based on experts' latest evaluation of the outbreak. Japan has 675 confirmed cases, not including 697 others from a quarantined cruise ship..